Ryan Millsap, a film studio executive and real estate developer, says a years-long dispute involving activists occupying land he owns near Atlanta helped push him into politics and ultimately led to his decision to run for Congress in Georgia’s 10th Congressional District.
Appearing on Breitbart News Saturday with Washington Bureau Chief Matt Boyle, Millsap discussed his campaign for the seat being vacated by Rep. Mike Collins, who is running for the U.S. Senate. Boyle noted that Millsap has “pledged $4 million of his own money toward this race.”
Millsap told Boyle that his entry into the race followed a dispute over a 40-acre parcel he owns near Atlanta that activists targeted because it was located next to what he referred to as “Cop City.” Millsap stated Antifa activists occupied the land and blocked development. “They moved into my land illegally,” he remarked, adding that local officials in DeKalb County “refused to remove them as trespassers from my land.”
According to Millsap, the activists “set up shop and camped for months and months and had a little village on my property,” during which he said they “would attack anybody who came on the property with rocks, sticks,” “burned equipment,” and “harassed” his family.
Millsap told Boyle that activists “have a legal team that sued me” and that he has been “in a lawsuit with them for five years that’s still ongoing.” Millsap recounted that witnessing the conflict firsthand led him to conclude that “if we don’t do something radical in this country, then all of America could end up being as bad as DeKalb County,” which he described as being governed by Democrats who he asserted were “complicit in the Antifa nefarious actions.”
Reflecting on the experience, Millsap shared that confronting the backlash ultimately strengthened his resolve to enter politics. “The nice thing about being canceled is that you find out it’s not that bad. The nice thing about facing an enemy that ultimately is weak is that you realize that you can defeat them, but then you just have to enter the battle,” Millsap explained. “And that’s what I’m doing.”
Boyle asked Millsap why he decided to run for office now, noting that a number of political figures and party insiders are already backing other candidates in the Republican primary. Boyle remarked that Millsap had “totally shocked, taken everybody by surprise by jumping into this race,” and asked what motivated him to “put your life, your fortune, your name on the line here to run for office.”
Millsap responded that he believes people outside traditional political careers should become involved in government. “The career politicians are not going to get us out of this mess,” he said, arguing that individuals who have built businesses should step forward to lead. Referencing President Donald Trump, Millsap observed Trump demonstrates the kind of leadership he believes is necessary, saying Trump makes “hard decisions… with resolve” and does not rely on politics as a career.
Boyle asked Millsap to discuss how he accumulated the resources to finance his campaign, including the $4 million he has pledged. “My background is primarily commercial real estate,” he shared, outlining that he built a major studio complex in Atlanta that he leased to major entertainment companies including Sony Pictures, The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros., HBO, and Netflix.
He mentioned that major productions filmed at the studio included projects such as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Jungle Cruise, The Tomorrow War, Venom, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
Boyle also asked how Millsap’s experience in film production and storytelling could translate into politics. Millsap explained that he views his work primarily through the lens of entrepreneurship rather than filmmaking while noting that business success requires understanding finance, marketing, and the underlying ideas behind a project. Millsap argued that political messaging ultimately depends on the ideas behind it. “If you’re starting with the wrong ideas, you’re fundamentally broken from the start,” he stated. “Doesn’t matter how good of a marketer you are, doesn’t matter how good of a storyteller you are, if you fundamentally have bad ideas, then everything you do is going to fail and that’s what we’re fighting against these leftist commie dems.”
Millsap expressed that he wants to encourage more private-sector leaders to seek office, stating that Congress should include people “for whom politics is a hobby, not a primary occupation.” He added that politics should function as a means “to protect our lives” and safeguard the ability of Americans to build businesses and families.
Millsap concluded the interview by arguing that many successful Americans have withdrawn from political life and that he believes that trend needs to change. “We’ve got to go back into the arena. On this we can’t just exit,” he said, adding that many “very, very successful” Americans have retreated into “bubbles of beautiful enclaves” while disengaging from public life. “We are paying the price for that.”
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